Lessons from Exodus 14:13 – 18

So here's Moses, leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt & through the desert & at this point, they're at an impasse: the raging, impassable Red Sea in front of them, the raging, unstoppable Egyptian Army closing in on them from behind. In the natural, there's no way out, they MUST depend on the Lord, He is their only hope, their only salvation.

DO NOT BE AFRAID

Exodus 14:13 AMP

“Then Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Take your stand [be firm and confident and undismayed] and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for those Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see again.”

I'm sure when the Israelites saw the Egyptian Army approaching there was panic in the camp, so Moses calmed the people & told them to trust in the Lord who brought them this far & surely wouldn't abandon them now.

Fear & intimidation do not have a hold over us. Get a grip on these things.

BE STILL / REMAIN CALM

Exodus 14:14

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Exodus 14:14 AMP

“The Lord will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm.”

There's something about the peace of God in the midst of a crisis. When you are the only one who's not freaking out, the ones who are freaking out take notice. There is a peace that surpasses all understanding & it only comes from the Prince of Peace Himself.

HOLD YOUR TONGUE / WATCH YOUR WORDS

Don't lend your mouth to the fear, to the worry, to what the enemy speaks through whatever media/medium. Do not speak them as though they were true. If you're going to speak, speak the Word & what IT says.

GO FORWARD

Exodus 14:15

“The Lord said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to Me, tell the Children of Israel go forward'”.

Moses had just told them to stand still, to calm themselves & to see the salvation of the Lord. After they had done that, the Lord told them to move. Move when the Lord tells you to move, not before, but move in confidence & authority, faith & victory.

You can stand & go = stand on the Word, stand in authority & go forward. You walk it out in faith. Go forward, not backwards because victory is ours.

LIFT UP YOUR ROD

Exodus 14:16

“As for you, lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the sons of Israel may go through the middle of the sea on dry land.”

In the culture of the Israelites, the rod was a natural symbol of authority, as the tool used by the shepherd to correct and guide his flock (Psalm 23:4). He is the Great Shepherd, He is directing & taking care of us, protecting us, leading us.

Psalm 23:4

“Thy rod (shebet = mark of authority) & Thy staff (mish`enah = support) comfort me…”

What is our authority? The Word, both the written Word & the Living Word = Jesus Himself.

Exodus 14:17 – 18

“As for Me, hear this: I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will go in [the sea] after them; and I will be glorified and honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and his war-chariots and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know [without any doubt] and acknowledge that I am the Lord, when I am glorified and honored through Pharaoh, through his war-chariots and his charioteers.”

So to recap, here's what was told to the Children of Israel.

- DO NOT BE AFRAID

- BE STILL / REMAIN CALM

- HOLD YOUR TONGUE / WATCH YOUR WORDS

- GO FORWARD

- LIFT UP YOUR ROD

He closes out these instructions with “As for you & as for Me”, in other words:

YOU DO YOUR PART, I’LL DO MY PART.

2020 has been a crazy year, the spirit of fear gripped the planet, affecting both unbelievers & some Believers as well. There is genuine fear by some, “Will my rights be taken away?” & by others, “Will my freedoms be taken away?”.

For many, it's an uncertain future… but no matter what you're facing, whether that's an impossible/impassible route, a crisis of faith, a crisis of health or the enemy on the attack, what Moses & the Lord told the Children of Israel so long ago could easily be applied to us today: fear not & go forward. 

See the salvation of the Lord, watch as He works it all out, as He makes a way where there seems to be no way. He WILL lead you to the other side. Watch how His glory will manifest in the impossible situations & there will be no doubt as all see that He… is… the… Lord.

God's got this & He's got you.